Heel for footwear and method of attaching the same



Nov. l5, v1927.

w. J. DE wm' HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR AND METHOD -0F ATTACHING THE SAMEl Filed April 24. 1926 A mi Patented Nov. 15, 1i927.

iTlilD STATES PATENT oFFicE.

WILLIAM l. DE WITT, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

HEEL FOR FOOTWEAR AND METHOD 0F ATTACHING THE SAME.

Application led April 24, 1926. Serial No. 104,366.

This invention pertains to the manufacture of footwear and more particularly to heels for boots, shoes, ctc., and to a method of attaching such heels. Various substitutes for heels built up of lifts of leather, libre board, etc., have been proposed, the most common of such substitutes being the wood heel modeled from a solid block of hard wood. While the wood heel is rela tively cheap and quite strong and durable,

^ method of attaching leather heels,since the 'wood heel will split when 'so'treated It has,

therefore, been common to attach such wood A lheels by means of' wood screws` or short nails driven from the inside of the shoe sole into the heel, but the diiiiculty of. setting wood screws as compared with driving nails. is considerable, while there is no way o 'clenching nails driven .downwardly through the shoe sole into the heel, and therefore such nails provide a very unreliable fastening and in consequence Wood heels frequently become detached from the shoe.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a heel which may be made -at a cost not substantially greater than that of solid wooden heels, which may without diiculty be given a permanent external finish closely resembling that of highly polished leather, and which can be attached by means of clenched nails yor other equivalents in an expeditious manner and by theuse of apparatus of substantially the usual type.

Other advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds an will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

vIn the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the rear art of a shoe 'showing the improved heel attached thereto and with an anvil member in place for cl'enching the attaching nails;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section throughthe yimproved heel surel plate removed;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the heel looking toward the breast surface thereof, the cover plate being removed; and Figj/l is a sect'on similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modified type of heel and a different type of fastener.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates the improved heel which may be given any desired external shape in accordance with the style of shoe to which it is to be attached. The present heels differ from showing the clo- .heels of prior construction in having an interior cavity 2 of any suitable contour and size, such cavity being here shown as substantially rectangular and having an upper wall 3 and a lower wall 4. Preferably the lnner surface 5 of the upper wall 3 is substantially fiat and parallel with the outer surface 4, but this is not essential.

.The heel thus formed may be made by a molding or pressing operation from any substance having suitable characteristics, for example, Celluloid, hard rubber, paper or fibre pulp, etc., or may be shaped from wood,

-sheet metal, or in fact .almost any material by an appropriate process.

The cavity 2 preferably opens iat the f `breast surface of the heel and the edge of the opening is preferably rabbeted at 6 to provide a recess for the reception of the edge of a cover plate 7 which may be of the same or a different material from the body portion of the heel.l After the heel has been attached tothe shoe as hereafter described this cover is secured in position by the use of adhesive or otherwise and as it seats within the rabbet a Hush and finished surface is produced.

The upper surface 9 of the heel is shaped as usual to fit snugly against the under surface of the heel seat portion of the shoe sole 10. In attaching the heel to the shoe an anvilv member 11, which may conveniently be attached to the frame 12 of a nailing mad chine, for example of any usual type em- -While the heel rests upon the anvil, nailsV 13 are driven upwardly 'through the shoe l r, l i SQL@ ein( through the Wall 3 ot the heel and re clenched as indicated at 1d The cred more lirmly to the shoe sole than the ordinary leather heel. Padded buffer members 12a and 12b bear against the outer lift 16 and rear portion of the heel respectively. These buffers are suitably movably attached to the. nailing machine. `While a nailing machine has been mentioned as useful in driving these nails, it is obvious that they ymight be driven by hand it desired. in which case the anvil 1l may be supported upon a bench or in lany other desired manner.

After the nails 13 have been driven, the heel is Withdrawn Jfrom off of the anvil and the cover plate 'l' is set Ainto the recess in the breast surface of the heel, or it may be attached in any other suitable Way as by a bevelled portion instead of a recess. The edges of the cover plate may be moistened with adhesive, or, it the body otothe heel and the cover plate arer of Celluloid, which 1s regarded as a desirable material, the engaging surfaces ot these parts may be moistened with a celluloid solvent,for example acetone, which produces an integral union between' them When they are pressed together.

lt as suggested the heel be made of celluloid, this Celluloid may be colored to resemble leather of the desired shade, and since the outer surface of the heel may be given a high polish in the molding operation or by the subsequent application of acetone or a similar solvent, no difficulty is experienced in giving this heel an appearance resembling polished' leather and having the further advantage that this finish is `quite permanent.

The heel thus formed is light in Weight, quite as durable as leather so far as resistance to abrasive Wear is concerned, does not split readily, and remains rmly attached to the shoe sole under all conditions. It desired a top lift 15 of leather, rubber or the like may be secured to thel lower wall l of the heel proper by means of any suitable fasteners, for example the slugs 16.' y

In Fig. 4 a modified heel is illustrated, such heel-1a being made, for example. of metal and having-holes in its upper Wall 3a for the reception of rivets 15. These rivets are passed down through the shoe sole 10a and headed over against the inner surface 5a of the wall 38L by the 'use of ian anvil inserted into the cavity 2 of the heel body. While heels of other materials.

.15th 'day of lf the heel proper he of a material, ttor example metal, which does not give the delsirecl external finish, it may be covered as indicated at 17 with any desired material, for example leather, paper, celluloid, cloth or the like, attached in the same way as such covering material is applied to Wood heels. Likewise this heel may be provided with a top lift 18 it desired.

lWhile as here shown l preferito arrange the opening leading into the cavity 2 at the breast surface of the heel, l do not Wish to be limited to this arrangement since such opening might perhaps be 'ormed at some other point in the Wall ot the cavity.

l claim:

1. That method of attaching heels to shoes which comprises as steps forming a large cavity in the heel, such cavity opening at the breastsurtace of the. heel, fastening the heel to the shoe with fastening members extending 'from the inside of the shoe through the sole and upper Wall ot the cavity, clenching the fastening means against the inner surface ot said WallLand thereafter closing the entrance to the cavity.

2. A heel for shoes having a cavity for the reception of an anvil upon which heel attached fasteners may be clenched, said cavity opening at the breast surface of the heel, and a plate for covering the entrance to said cavity.

3. A shoe heel of molded Celluloid having an interior cavity opening at its breast surface and a cover member of Celluloid for closing the aperture leading to said cavity, said cover `member being connected to the heel body by forming an adhesive surface therebetween..

4. A shoe heel cbnsisting of a hollow shell i having an aperture in its breast Wall for the insertion of an anvil, a cover for said a erture, and means covering the outer sur ace ffii the heel proper to provide a finish therel 5. A shoe heel consisting of a hollow celluloid shell having an aperture through its breast Wall, the edge of the aperture being rabbeted to provide a marginal recess, and a Celluloid cover normally having its edge seatedin said recess to close said aperture, said cover bein-g attached in place by forming an adhering surface with said edge.

Signed by meat Auburn, New York, this April. 1926.

WILLIAM J. DE WITT. 

